does anyone else find they have teeth troubles? no matter how well i look after them, since i had my daughter my teeth have rapidly gone downhill. i have had all my wisdom teeth removed due to impaction and infection caused by decay. but i seem to get mouth infections way too easy... and they can never be cleared up by antibiotics.

Antibiotics never work on me. Ever. If i get an infection all i can do is ride it out. :-(

i have had labrynthitis so many times now its not funny.

at this moment i have just had surgery to remove my last wisdom tooth... there were complications and so i had surgery under a local :( :'( not cool. Im in immense pain and cant speak. Now i have to keep my fingers crossed that the infection clears up all by itself.

Im wondering if others experience teeth problems... or if taking antibiotics is useless for anyone else?

People with Lupus often have dry mouth either from meds or from a condition called Sjogrens which causes dry eyes, mouth and vaginal dryness. When your mouth is dry, your teeth can really suffer. The saliva does something to control bacteria and plaque. You probably also notice that you have a really rapid plaque build up. We need to go to have our teeth cleaned at least twice a year. If you do have dry mouth, you doctor can prescribe a med to help you secrete more saliva . . . that really made measurable difference in my dental issues. The hygenist could see way less calculus and the depth of the pockets were significantly improved.

Another problem we commonly have is yeast overgrowth . . . this ruins the balance of good bacteria in the body and can be addressed by eating yogurt with live cultures, drinking Kefir (my choice because it is made at home and it has way more probiotics in it) or taking a high quality acidophilus suppliment which can be found in the refrigerator at a health food store (this is the simplest). Many of us have had a better sense of well-being when we get this issue under control.

I hope the others have some suggestions for you as well.

You can rinse with warm salt water if you are allowed to swish. If not, try sipping some chicken broth or boulion.

Sending you a nice hot cup of tea!!

Blessings!

In His Grip

AlwaysRosie "We can't control the waves, but we can learn how to surf!!"

Ari, I know that some people have problems with their teeth because they have secondary Sjogren's which tends to dry out the eyes and the mouth. When you don't have enough saliva in your mouth it can cause a lot of problems with your teeth. Make sure you mention this to your rheumy when you see him and he might be able to help you and help you figure out if this is related to your lupus or something else.

Bless your heart! I have alot of dental problems as well. I do have Sjogren's with Lupus, RA, and Fibro. I'm on antibiotics right now because of an infection from a bad tooth that will have to come out. I have had several teeth pulled over the years and I will be getting 4 crowns soon. I have no dental insurance on SSD so the dentist visits were put off for awhile.

I will be seeing my Rheumatologist next week and this is on the top of my list for dicussion. I know my Anti-SSA and Anti-SSB numbers were very high the last time they were checked. This has got to get under control before I loose all my teeth!

Please stay on top of this and hound your doctor and dentist until you get some relief. Take care and keep us updated on this. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.